Activation of appliance in response to subject sleep state

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/202,586, filed Sep. 2, 2015, entitled “Apparatus and Methods of Monitoring a Sleeping Subject,” issued as U.S. Pat. No. 1,181,293, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/843,021, filed Sep. 2, 2015, entitled “Pregnancy state monitoring,” which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,172,593, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/726,706, filed Jun. 1, entitled “Menstrual state monitoring,” which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,575,829, and which claims the benefit of (i) U.S. Provisional Application 62/045,237, entitled “Monitoring a Sleeping Subject,” filed Sep. 3, 2014, (ii) U.S. Provisional Application 62/057,250, entitled “Monitoring a Sleeping Subject,” filed Sep. 30, 2014, (iii) U.S. Provisional Application 62/088,697, entitled “Monitoring a Sleeping Subject,” filed Dec. 8, 2014, (iv) U.S. Provisional Application 62/102,031, entitled “Monitoring a Sleeping Subject,” filed Jan. 11, 2015, and (v) U.S. Provisional Application 62/152,902, filed Apr. 26, 2015, entitled “Monitoring a Sleeping Subject.

The present application is related to International Patent Application PCT IL/2015/050880 to Shinar (published as WO 16/035073), entitled “Monitoring a sleeping subject,” filed on Sep. 2, 2015.

Each of the above applications is incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates generally to monitoring a subject in her or his bed, typically in a home setting. Specifically, some applications of the present disclosure relate to controlling a device or generating an alert or notification in response to the subject's sleep state, and/or for automatically identifying a state of a female subject's menstrual cycle, and/or whether the female subject is in a pregnant or non-pregnant state.

There is great variation in the lengths of women's menstrual cycles. It is often the case that women would like to know the current phase of their menstrual cycle. Of particular interest to many is knowledge of when they are in the “fertile window” which occurs from approximately five days before ovulation until two days after ovulation. Typically, urine tests, calendar-based methods, and symptoms-based methods (in which parameters such as cervical mucus, cervical position, and basal body temperature are measured) are used for such determinations.

Quality and duration of sleep plays an important role in overall physical and psychological wellbeing. Unfortunately, many subjects have difficulty falling or staying asleep. In some cases, subjects' sleep may be disrupted by ambient noise from home appliances or other household members.

The present disclosure includes one or more of the features recited in the appended claims and/or the following features which, alone or in any combination, may comprise patentable subject matter.

In accordance with some applications of the present disclosure, a sensor monitors a female subject and generates a sensor signal in response to the monitoring. A computer processor receives the sensor signal and, in response to analyzing the sensor signal, automatically identifies a menstrual state of the subject, and/or a pregnancy state of the subject (i.e., whether the subject is in a pregnant or a non-pregnant state). For example, the computer processor may identify an aspect of the sensor signal, such as a cardiac-related aspect of the sensor signal, and/or a respiration-related aspect of the sensor signal, and may perform the identification of the subject's state in response thereto. In response to determining the subject's menstrual state, and/or pregnancy state, the computer processor generates an output.

Typically, the sensor performs monitoring of the subject without contacting the subject or clothes the subject is wearing, and/or without viewing the subject or clothes the subject is wearing. For example, the sensor may perform the monitoring without having a direct line of sight of the subject's body, or the clothes that the subject is wearing. Further typically, the sensor performs monitoring of the subject without requiring subject compliance (i.e., without the subject needing to perform an action to facilitate the monitoring that would not have otherwise been performed). It is noted that, prior to the monitoring, certain actions (such as purchasing the sensor and placing the sensor under the subject's bed) may need to be performed by the subject. The term “without requiring subject compliance” should not be interpreted as excluding such actions. Rather the term “without requiring subject compliance” should be interpreted as meaning that, once the sensor has been purchased, placed in a suitable position and activated, the sensor can be used to monitor the subject (e.g., to monitor the subject during repeated monitoring sessions), without the subject needing to perform any actions to facilitate the monitoring that would not have otherwise been performed.

Typically, the sensor is disposed on or within the subject's bed, and configured to monitor the subject automatically, while she is in her bed. For example, the sensor may be disposed underneath the subject's mattress such that the subject is monitored while she is lying upon the mattress, and while carrying out her normal sleeping routine, without the subject needing to perform an action to facilitate the monitoring that would not have otherwise been performed.

For some applications, the sensor is a non-temperature sensor (i.e., the sensor is not configured to measure a temperature of the subject). Typically, the computer processor is configured to identify the subject's menstrual state and/or pregnancy state without determining a temperature of the subject.

In response to determining the subject's menstrual state and/or pregnancy state, the computer processor generates an output. For example, the computer processor may drive an output device (e.g., a monitor, or the screen of a tablet device or a smartphone) to display (or otherwise output) an output that is indicative of the identified menstrual state and/or pregnancy state. Alternatively or additionally, the processor may drive an output device (e.g., a monitor, or the screen of a tablet device or a smartphone) to display (or otherwise output) an output that is indicative of a recommended action to be taken by the user (e.g., “intercourse is recommended within the next 48 hours”), based upon the identified menstrual state and/or pregnancy state. Alternatively or additionally, the processor may drive a device (such as a room-climate-regulation device) in the subject's bedroom to perform a function or to change a parameter of its functioning in response to the identified menstrual state and/or pregnancy state.

Applications of the present disclosure include apparatus for controlling the playing of music for a subject who is sleeping or is trying to fall asleep. In response to historical data obtained from the subject and to the monitoring of the subject by a sensor, the apparatus controls a property (e.g., a frequency) of the music, e.g., in order to facilitate the slowing of the subject's heart rate and thus help the subject fall asleep.

Applications of the present disclosure also include apparatus for facilitating the provision of care by a care-provider for a care-receiver. The apparatus monitors sleep of the care-provider and sleep of the care-receiver, and drives an alerting device to wake the care-provider at an opportune time for care-giving, e.g., when both parties are in a light stage of sleep.

Applications of the present disclosure also include apparatus and methods for facilitating a subject's sleep, such as by controlling noisy home appliances in response to the subject's stage of sleep, and/or by activating a white-noise generator or a noise-cancelation device when a noisy home appliance is activated.

Applications of the present disclosure also include apparatus for monitoring sleep of a baby in order to facilitate the provision of care to the baby, and/or in order to reduce the baby's disturbances to other members of the household, and/or in order to reduce disturbances to sleep of the baby.

Applications of the present disclosure also include apparatus for prioritizing care-provision tasks for a plurality of patients in a hospital. The apparatus prioritizes the tasks in response to the respective sleep stages of the patients, such that, for example, a patient who is awake may be provided for before a patient who is asleep.

There is therefore provided, in accordance with some applications of the present disclosure, apparatus for use with a speaker, the apparatus including: a sensor configured to monitor a subject and to generate a sensor signal in response thereto; and a control unit configured to: analyze the sensor signal, control a property of a sound signal, in response to (a) the analyzing of the sensor signal, and (b) a historical physiological parameter of the subject that was exhibited in response to a historical sound signal, and drive the speaker to play the sound signal.

For some applications, the control unit is configured to: at a first time, set the property of the sound signal to a particular setting, and drive the speaker to play the sound signal, and at a second time following the first time, in response to (a) the sensor signal indicating that the subject has awakened prematurely, and (b) the subject having fallen asleep at the first time in response to the setting of the property to the particular setting: set the property of the sound signal to the particular setting, and drive the speaker to play the sound signal.

For some applications, the apparatus is for use with a mechanism selected from the group consisting of: a vibrating mechanism, and a rocking mechanism, and the control unit is further configured to control the selected mechanism in response to the analyzing of the sensor signal.

For some applications, the control unit is configured to: at least by analyzing the sensor signal, ascertain that the subject is trying to fall asleep, and control the property of the sound signal, in response thereto.

For some applications, the control unit is configured to: by analyzing the sensor signal, ascertain a sleep stage of the subject, and control the property of the sound signal, in response to the ascertained sleep stage.

For some applications, the historical physiological parameter is selected from the group consisting of: a quality of sleep, a time-to-fall-asleep, a heart-rate-variability, a change in heart rate, a change in respiratory rate, a change in heart-rate-variability, a change in blood pressure, a rate of change in heart rate, a rate of change in respiratory rate, a rate of change in heart-rate-variability, and a rate of change in blood pressure, the control unit being configured to control the property of the sound signal in response to the selected historical physiological parameter.

For some applications, the control unit is configured to select content of the sound signal in response to a manual input.

For some applications, the property is selected from the group consisting of: content, genre, volume, frequency, and phase-shift, the control unit being configured to control the selected property.

For some applications: the selected property is the frequency, and the control unit is configured to control the frequency of the sound signal by setting the frequency to be an offset less than a rate selected from the group consisting of: a heart rate of the subject, and a respiratory rate of the subject, the control unit being configured to control the offset in response to analyzing the sensor signal.

For some applications, the selected property is a phase-shift with respect to a signal selected from the group consisting of: a cardiac signal of the subject, and a respiratory signal of the subject, the control unit being configured to control the phase-shift with respect to the selected signal.

There is additionally provided, in accordance with some applications of the present disclosure, apparatus for use with an alerting device, the apparatus including: at least one sensor configured to monitor a care-provider and a care-receiver, and to generate a signal in response thereto; and a control unit configured to: analyze the signal, in response thereto, drive the alerting device to alert the care-provider to provide care for the care-receiver.

For some applications, the at least one sensor is configured to monitor the care-provider and the care-receiver without contacting or viewing the care-provider, without contacting or viewing clothes the care-provider is wearing, without contacting or viewing the care-receiver, and without contacting or viewing clothes the care-receiver is wearing.

For some applications, the control unit is configured to drive the alerting device to alert the care-provider in response to ascertaining, by analyzing the signal, (a) a sleep stage of the care-provider, and (b) a sleep stage of the care-receiver.

For some applications, the control unit is configured to drive the alerting device to alert the care-provider in response to historical sleep-related data of a person selected from the group consisting of: the care-provider, and the care-receiver.

There is further provided, in accordance with some applications of the present disclosure, apparatus for use with a mechanism selected from the group consisting of: a vibrating mechanism, and a rocking mechanism, the apparatus including: a sensor configured to monitor a subject and to generate a sensor signal in response thereto; and a control unit configured to: analyze the sensor signal, and control the selected mechanism in response thereto by sending a control signal to the selected mechanism.

For some applications, in response to analyzing the sensor signal, the control unit is configured to: ascertain that the subject is not sleeping, and activate the selected mechanism in response thereto.

For some applications, the control unit is configured to control the selected mechanism, further in response to historical sleep-related data of the subject.

For some applications, the control unit is configured to: at a first time: vary a parameter of the selected mechanism, the parameter being selected from the group consisting of: a vibration frequency, a vibration amplitude, a rocking frequency, and a rocking amplitude, and by analyzing the sensor signal, identify a value of the selected parameter that is more conducive to sleep of the subject, relative to other values, and at a second time following the first time, set the selected parameter to the identified value.

For some applications, the control unit is configured to: at a first time, set a parameter of the selected mechanism to a particular value by sending the control signal to the selected mechanism, and at a second time following the first time, in response to (a) the sensor signal indicating that the subject has awakened prematurely, and (b) the subject having fallen asleep at the first time in response to the setting of the parameter to the particular value, set the parameter of the selected mechanism to the particular value.

There is additionally provided, in accordance with some applications of the present disclosure, a method for use with a home appliance, the method including: using a sensor to monitor sleep of a subject and to generate a signal in response thereto; and using a control unit: analyzing the signal, in response thereto, ascertaining a sleep stage of the subject, and in response thereto, controlling the home appliance.

For some applications, using the sensor includes using a motion sensor.

For some applications, using the sensor to monitor the sleep of the subject includes using the sensor to monitor the sleep of the subject without contacting or viewing the subject, and without contacting or viewing clothes the subject is wearing.

For some applications, controlling the home appliance includes controlling the home appliance in response to historical sleep-related data of the subject.

For some applications, the home appliance is selected from the group consisting of: a washing machine, a dryer, an air conditioner, a heater, a refrigerator, a freezer, and a dishwasher, the method including controlling the selected home appliance.

For some applications, controlling the home appliance includes inhibiting activation of the home appliance, in response to ascertaining that the sleep stage of the subject is a light-sleep stage.

For some applications, controlling the home appliance includes activating the home appliance, in response to ascertaining that the sleep stage of the subject is a slow-wave sleep stage.

There is further provided, in accordance with some applications of the present disclosure, apparatus for use with a first noise-making device and a second noise-making device, the apparatus including: a sensor configured to monitor sleep of a subject and to generate a sensor signal in response thereto; and a control unit configured to: analyze the sensor signal, receive a device signal from the second noise-making device, in response to (a) analyzing the sensor signal, and (b) the device signal, ascertain that the subject is likely to awaken due to an upcoming activation of the second noise-making device, and in response thereto, activate the first noise-making device.

There is additionally provided, in accordance with some applications of the present disclosure, apparatus including: a sensor configured to monitor sleep of a baby, and to generate a signal in response thereto; an electromechanical arm; and a control unit configured to: analyze the signal, and in response thereto, drive the electromechanical arm to deliver a comfort-inducing object to the baby.

For some applications, the sensor is configured to monitor the sleep of the baby without contacting or viewing the baby, and without contacting or viewing clothes the baby is wearing.

There is further provided, in accordance with some applications of the present disclosure, apparatus including: a sensor configured to monitor a baby, and to generate a signal in response thereto; and a control unit configured to: analyze the signal, in response thereto, ascertain that a mouth of the baby is performing a sucking motion, and in response thereto, generate an alert.

For some applications, the sensor is configured to monitor the sleep of the baby without contacting or viewing the baby, and without contacting or viewing clothes the baby is wearing.

There is further provided, in accordance with some applications of the present disclosure, apparatus including: a sensor configured to monitor a baby, and to generate a signal in response, an electromechanical arm; and a control unit configured to: analyze the signal, in response thereto, ascertain that a mouth of the baby is performing a sucking motion, and in response thereto, drive the electromechanical arm to deliver a comfort-inducing object to the baby.

For some applications, the sensor is configured to monitor the baby without contacting or viewing the baby, and without contacting or viewing clothes the baby is wearing.